Parker Waichman Alonso LLP Files Suit Against Bayer Corporation on Behalf of Victims of the Yaz Birth Control Pill

Firm Expects to File Many More Lawsuits on Behalf of Individuals Injured by Yaz
and Yasmin Oral Contraceptives in the Coming Months
GREAT NECK, N.Y.--(Business Wire)--
Parker Waichman Alonso LLP has filed two more lawsuits on behalf of young women
injured by the Yaz birth control pill. Yaz, as well as its precursor, Yasmin,
have been associated with life-threatening cardiac events in some women,
including heart attacks, blood clots and strokes. Both lawsuits were filed in
the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Docket
Nos. 09-CIV-8931 and 09-CIV-8843).

The Yaz lawsuits were filed on behalf of Judith M. Woodall and Tasha Marcell.
The complaints allege that both women sustained severe and permanent personal
injuries, pain, suffering, and emotional distress as a result of their use of
Yaz. More specifically, according to her lawsuit, Ms. Woodall, a resident of
Tennessee, first began using Yaz in approximately November 2008. That same
month, she suffered a saddle pulmonary embolus and deep vein thrombosis. Ms.
Marcell, a resident of Georgia, began taking Yaz in October 2007. She also
suffered a pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis shortly after she began
using the medication.

The lawsuits further allege that Bayer Corporation and other defendants
negligently and fraudulently represented that Yaz had been tested and found to
be safe and effective and that the defendants concealed their knowledge of its
defects. The lawsuits name Bayer Corporation, its subsidiaries, Berlex
Laboratories, Inc. and Berlex, Inc. as defendants.

The complaints maintain that Yaz and Yasmin are both made with a type of
progestin called drospirenone, making them different from many other oral
contraceptives. Drospirenone can elevate the body's potassium levels, which can
lead to a condition called hyperkalemia in certain patients. Hyperkalemia may
result in potentially serious heart and health problems. Adverse Events reported
to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) involving Yaz and Yasmin include heart
arrhythmias, electrolyte imbalance, hyponatremis, hyperkalemia, hyperkalemic
arrhythmias, atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, bradycardia, myocardial
infarction, stroke, transient ischemic attack, blood clots, embolisms, and
sudden death.

Yaz is the top-selling oral contraceptive in the U.S. Last year, Yaz and Yasmin
generated about $1.8 billion for Bayer. These sales were achieved through a
marketing campaign that presented the medications as more than mere birth
control pills, and touted them as treatments for premenstrual dysphoric
disorder, premenstrual syndrome and moderate acne. Bayer Corporation and the
other defendants named in the complaints have been warned at least three times
by the FDA over misleading television advertisements which overstate the
efficiency of Yaz or Yasmin and minimize serious risks associated with the
drugs.

"Yaz and Yasmin were marketed in a way that concealed important safety
information from women like Judith Woodall and Tasha Marcell," said Melanie
Muhlstock, an attorney with Parker Waichman Alonso LLP. "As a result Ms. Woodall
and Ms. Marcell were unable to make an informed decision about their choice of
birth control and left unaware that they were being exposed to unique risks not
seen with other oral contraceptives."

More than 100 lawsuits have been filed across the country on behalf of victims
of Yaz and Yasmin side effects. State and federal lawsuits involving Yaz and
Yasmin were recently consolidated and transferred to the Southern District of
Illinois for centralized and coordinated pre-trial proceedings.

Parker Waichman Alonso LLP expects to file many more lawsuits on behalf of Yaz
and Yasmin victims in the coming months.

If you or a loved one suffered a heart attack, blood clot or stroke while taking
one of these medications, please contact our office by visiting
www.yourlawyer.com. Free case evaluations are also available by calling 1 800
LAW INFO (1-800-529-4636).

About Parker Waichman Alonso LLP

Parker Waichman Alonso LLP is a leading personal injury law firm that represents
plaintiffs nationwide. The firm has offices in New York, New Jersey and Florida.
Parker Waichman Alonso LLP has assisted thousands of clients in receiving fair
compensation for injuries resulting from defective drugs, medical devices and
other products.

For more information on Parker Waichman Alonso LLP, please visit:
www.yourlawyer.com or call 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636).

Parker Waichman Alonso LLP
Melanie H. Muhlstock
800-LAW-INFO
800-529-4636
www.yourlawyer.net/yasmine
www.yourlawyer.net/yaz

Copyright Business Wire 2009